Building lives upon Jesus Christ

Tag Archives: Sin

What is sin? Why is there sin? Is sin a problem? If a problem, is there a solution?

These are questions that many have pondered and wrestled with over the years. For example, why do children hurt each other? Why do parents fight? Why is it so hard to keep society from crumbling? Those who believe the Bible is true find the answer “all have sinned.”

Sin is “to miss the mark.” This can only be helpful if one knows what the mark is that we are missing. Biblically, the mark is holiness (purity and not committing sin), righteousness (just, right, acting with integrity), and perfection (not erring or failing). The Apostle Peter wrote commanding holiness citing the Old Testament book of Leviticus, “since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy”” (1 Peter 1:16).

Sin entered the world, according to the Bible, through disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Genesis 3, and then spread to all mankind. We are born as sinners, who sin, and keep on sinning.

Sin is a problem because it separates us from God. Ephesians 2:1-3 describes the state of those who are in their sin, who are not removed or separated from sin. There, we discover sinners are

“dead,”

following the prince of the power of the air (Satan),”

“sons of disobedience,” living “in the passions of our flesh,”

“carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,”

and “children of wrath.”

This bleak picture describes the continual struggle of those who seek their own desires, live apart from the biblical instructions, and ultimately will end up separated from God for eternity (Revelation 20:11-15).

There is a remedy! Sin has a solution. Sin can be removed through One who has taken our sin. Jesus took the sin of the world to the cross. He died, not for our sin only, but also the sin of the whole world. Thus, “all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

That is the kicker. Many know of Jesus, have heard of Him, and even claim to follow Him. But only those who believe in Him will be saved. John tells us how we can know if we are saved, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”

If you are unsure if you are saved from sin or not, there is a simple test:

Do you recognize you are a sinner, that is you have sinned (Romans 3:10, 23)? And that because of sin you are separated from God (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3)?

Do you believe Jesus is Immanuel, God become flesh, who died on the cross for your sin and rose again?

Do you love believers in Jesus?

These are 3 descriptions of those who are saved. Only those who believe in Jesus are those saved. There are 3 books in the Bible that are specifically written so those who believe might know they are saved and are have eternal life. They are The Gospel of John, Galatians, and 1 John. If you are unsure, read them, and evaluate if you believe in Jesus. If so, the problem of sin has been dealt with, you are viewed by God as a sinner no longer but as a saint (one set apart), and sinning should not be the lifestyle that defines you.